Defend University Newsletter for August 2000

Welcome to our new members from South Africa, England, Japan, Baltimore,
Texas, Florida, Connecticut and Phoenix.

WHY THE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR?

It is interesting that Defend University has a significant number of
members from the UK, France, Canada, South Africa, Japan and the Eastern
U.S.  Some discussions with others and some anecdotal evidence suggests it
is because the content of Defend University is not heavily dependent on
firearms for self-defense.  Firearms, of course, are severely restricted
in most of these areas (although South Africa has a strong heritage of
self-reliance and self-defense).  Comments I have received in the past
seem to confirm that the majority of self-defense information on the Web
or elsewhere is either the “common sense” variety or it completely slanted
toward the use of firearms as the end all and be all of self-defense
solutions.  There is very little “hands on” information on what exactly
can be done in the range between the two.

A recent article we posted to the Defend U. site is on Air Rage and was
included precisely BECAUSE it is a self-defense situation where no weapon
will be present.  Let us know what type of information you want to see on
Defend U. by e-mailing me at defenduniversity@yahoo.com.

WHAT IS YOUR SELF-DEFENSE QUESTION?

As part of my work with HungryMinds.com and AskMe.com, I field questions
from individuals regarding self-defense, crime prevention and security.
There is a huge pent-up demand for people looking for non-legal advice
about their particular situation.  We have added a section to Defend
University that gives you a chance to ask your self-defense question and
to see others’ questions and their respective answers.
Send me your question or send in a situation you found yourself in and how
you responded.  E-mail them to defenduniversity@yahoo.com.

GET OUT THE VOTE

If you are pro-self-defense, then this fall’s election is said to be vital
to protect your interests. Please get registered to vote.  An easy way to
do it over the Internet is through the Law Enforcement Alliance of America
Web site.  Got to www.leaa.org and click “Reference”, which will take you
to the National Mail Voter Registration Form.  Download the form for your
particular state and mail it in.  Get your friends and family members
registered.  Your vote is your voice, make it count for how you want the
country run.  

RELSON GRACIE PHOENIX SEMINAR

Relson Gracie, of the famous Gracie family will be in Phoenix Sept. 15
through 17 combining his incredible Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu knowledge with his
unique teaching style.  He is a real treat to train with.  Get more
information on the Defend University Web site at www.defendu.com/gracie or
call Nathan Zigler at 602-321-6544.


MARTIAL ARTS INTEREST GROWS

The National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA) estimates
that there are now more than 250,000 martial arts schools in the country.
NAPMA also predicts a spurt of interest in self-defense oriented systems
(specifically they cite an Israeli style known as Krav Maga).  Within the
martial arts community there has been a huge rise in interest in “mixed
martial arts” competitions stemming primarily because of their
introduction from Brazil by Rorion Gracie in the early 1990s.  The
interest is driven mostly by the testing of practical applications of
martial arts techniques in a “real” fight.

INCREASED U.S. INTEREST IN GUN OWNERSHIP

The National Rifle Association’s membership is at an all-time high (about
3.5 million members) and is growing.  Other growing groups include the
International Defensive Pistol Association.  According to Paxton Quigley,
the fastest growing segment of gun ownership is females.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES TO ENGLISH GUN BAN

Consider the result of the near total gun ban in England.  Traditionally,
violent crime there is very low (although I can tell you from personal
experience thievery is definitely alive and kicking).  Following the ban
last year, the violent crime rate has jumped 16%.  Apparently, the same
situation is occurring in Australia, another country with a total ban on
most firearms.  I have seen reported another huge jump in violent crime
there (in Australia) with many victims being the elderly (the ones least
able to defend themselves) who are terrorized with an increase in brutal
home invasions.  The moral of the story here is that criminals will prey
on the weak with impunity. 

PUT COPS ON DOTS

New York, New Orleans and some other cities have been making a good dent
in their crime rate by charting where and when crimes are occurring.
Then, the police departments are assigning officers to those areas during
the high crime times.  In the New York Police Department they call it
“putting cops on dots”.  I guess they didn’t have any dots put on Central
Park during the Central Park Wolf Pack Attacks…

HIGH TIMES

Increased incarceration of drug offenders is generally acknowledged to
have decreased the rate of crime in this country.  I believe it is not
necessarily because doing drugs is a violent activity, it is because a
large number of crimes are committed when people are under the influence
of drugs.  According to the NYPD, 40% of all crimes are committed by
people under the influence.   My experience has shown that about 75% of
the people you have to fight or arrest are under the influence of alcohol
or other chemicals.  If your first reaction to someone who is hassling
you, targeting you on the road or trying to pick a fight is “What’s wrong
with this guy, is he crazy?”, the fact is he is probably drunk or high.
Talking rationally with these people DOESN’T work.  Prepare to evade the
situation or defend yourself physically. 

INTERNATIONAL TIDBITS

Sao Paulo, Brazil, has the world’s third largest private helicopter fleet.
Businessmen fly directly from their homes to the office to avoid driving
through crime infested neighborhoods.   Carjacking in South Africa has
become so prevalent that the police have an anti-carjacking unit which
drives race-equipped BMWs.  Some citizens there have outfitted their cars
with devices designed to discourage carjackers.  I have seen photos of one
device that acts as a flame-thrower, shooting flames sideways from
underneath the car.  I have seen photos of another car equipped with a
device that can detonate several 12-gauge shotgun shells from the driver’s
door.  Our South African readers are encouraged to send in their comments
and contributions.

CHILDREN KIDNAPPED MOST BY ACQUAINTENCES

Your child is more likely to be kidnapped by someone you know versus a
stranger.  The Justice Department has analyzed data from 12 states and has
concluded that the danger from a stranger has been overblown from the
well-meaning hype surrounding national campaigns by activists.  If you are
a cop, investigator or parent, look to family friends and those employed
to provide child care as suspects in child abductions.  Look to boyfriends
in the abduction of teen girls and gang members who abduct teen boys for
intimidation, retaliation or recruitment.

SOFT CLOSED, HARD OPEN

There seems to be a resurgence in the popularity of boxing as a method of
self-defense. An increasing number of people I talk with are taking boxing
lessons in the form of aerobic kickboxing or “executive” boxing. They love
to show me their jab-cross-hook combination.  Unfortunately many of these
newcomers to the striking arts are going to seriously damage their hands
in a fight.  Without gloves, your hands are going to take more of a
beating than your opponent’s thick skull.  You should remember to use
open-handed strikes to hard areas of the body and use your close-handed
techniques to the soft portions of the body.  The exception to this rule
is elbow strikes.  You can also use this knowledge to your advantage: when
facing a striker, tilt your head down and keep your guard up to cover your
face. Let him bounce his hands off of your hard head while protecting your
vulnerable face, chin and throat.

ROAD RAGE MORONS SHOOT AT UNMARKED COP VEHICLE 

The motorist was driving recklessly, cutting off other vehicles and
weaving back and forth to keep other drivers from passing, authorities
said. When a white pickup truck managed to get by the car, one of the two
men inside the vehicle answered by popping off at least eight rounds from
a .45-caliber handgun. 
What the "road rage'' suspect probably didn't know during the incident
afternoon was that he was firing at a Phoenix police officer. 

Police are searching for the gunman and his accomplice, who were in a
green 1990 Honda four-door car with tinted windows. Authorities say they
believe the men were heading south on 19th Avenue from Broadway Road about
12:40 p.m. when Officer Mike Adams drove by in an unmarked police truck.
At one point, the suspects forced Adams into a two-way turn lane when he
tried to pass them, police said. When he finally did pass, Adams told
investigators he saw one of the men reach underneath the seat to grab what
he guessed was a weapon. 

Adams heard gunshots and looked in his rearview mirror to see a passenger
in the Honda, which was now about five car lengths behind, firing toward
him, he told authorities. Ducking down, Adams called for backup. But by
the time other officers arrived, the suspects had ducked into a
neighborhood. 

CALIFORNIA CRIMINALS ADVISED TO KILL COPS

A serious message from the Sonoma (California) Sheriff’s Office: criminals
in the state that are faced with the “3 strikes and you’re out” law are
being advised to shoot law enforcement officers rather than be taken back
to prison.

Word from the gangs in the Pelican Bay Prison is that it is better for a
gang member, when faced with being arrested for a “third strike” crime, to
kill the cops.  The reasoning is that the criminal will be facing a life
prison sentence anyway. If you kill the cop and get away, good for you.
If you kill a cop and still get caught, you will be put on death row, an
area generally acknowledged to have better living conditions than the
general prison area.  In addition, killing a cop grants a special status
to criminals in the joint.  Talk about another unintended consequence, the
law now makes it even MORE dangerous on the streets rather than safer as
was designed.  Two predictions -- law enforcement agencies will find their
recruiting efforts continue to soften (right now it is being blamed on the
good economy) and there will be more ambushes of cops and more
officer-involved shootings.

NOTES ON THE U.S. ELECTION

It is interesting that most of the law enforcement, personal freedom and
self-defense  associations and organizations I’m connected with or monitor
are becoming quite shrill in their tone concerning the upcoming election.
Their position – make sure to vote against Gore and Hillary Clinton.  I
haven’t seen too much of a pro-Bush stance, just a negative Gore/Clinton
stance.  Apparently the current Clinton administration has been making a
huge move to Federalize local police forces.  The Department of Justice is
attempting to dictate how officers will respond to calls and how the
officers will be monitored.  They have been successful in doing this in
Pittsburgh and in Steubenville, Ohio.  Columbus P.D. has resisted going
along with the program and now is facing a Federal lawsuit.  Officers I
know in various levels of Federal and State agencies see a continuation of
policy designed to take the decision-making ability away from the local
level.  In addition, they predict continued progress in making the private
ownership of firearms restricted or banned in much the same way it is done
in England and Australia.  
Regardless of how you feel politically on many issues, woe be unto you
when you cannot defend your family because the tools you need are not
politically correct.  In the end, the only rights we have are the ones we
can defend.  Get out and vote.


Brad Parker
Defend University
www.defendu.com
defenduniversity@yahoo.com